Teyla's "Gift"

[maxbo]

Yes, the writers messed up because Teyla has always been able to sense when Wraith are near. She only needs to concentrate when she attempts to connect with them directly.

[AnubisbyNight]

Ok , first post here...but I am a long time lurker!

There seems to be some confusion going on with Teyla's "Gift". Her "Gift" actually has two main parts to it.

1. The ability to sense the Wraith in the area (to what distance can be debated)

2. The ability to connect to the Wraith hive mind and take control of a Wraith mind.

The first is just instinct and requires no concentration or focus. It is simply a feeling she receives, which she knows means Wraith are around.

The second requires extreme concentration and focus to sometimes a meditative state.

With that all in mind the writers/director/producer simply dropped the ball here and omitted here "Gift" to detect the Wraith from the episode. Most likely as others have suggested it was for dramatic effect or so we may assume.

Dumb move and a big mistake with a main character that has a well established ability from the first episode throughout the series. Hopefully this will not become a pattern.

-Anubis

[Linda06]

Well Alan McCullough wrote an excellent episode here with all the twists and turns and great character chemistry. I would if I could like to ask him that question and see if he has an answer. I think it was not a big deal and well sometimes you have to use your imagination with a SCI FI show. I am just going to say, there was no time for her to sense the wraith.

That he did But I would also like to know why Teyla didn't sense them....Maybe someone could ask JM But i'll forgive this little slipup because I loved the rest of the ep Well apart from the little bit at the end

[Platschu]

If Teyla could control a Queen in last season, than she could try to change the mind of the commander. But I know she was pregnant, so she was more powerful.

[Briangate78]

That he did But I would also like to know why Teyla didn't sense them....Maybe someone could ask JM But i'll forgive this little slipup because I loved the rest of the ep Well apart from the little bit at the end

Honestly, I think the woman screaming had a more dramatic effect than Teyla saying "I sense Wraith People".

It really was a minor thing and it did not effect the episode for me.

[GoSpikey]

Teyla's wraith "gift" has been strangely absent ever since Spoils of War. I suppose it's especially noticeable this season because JM made so much of Teyla going to have heightened wraith abilities in this season. But instead of having heightened abilities, they seem to have vanished altogether. Even in The Queen, which would have been a perfect opportunity to showcase those abilities if indeed they were going to, we got zilch.

I think if it's going to happen at all it'll happen in The Prodigal, but after The Queen (which is where I thought it was going to happen) I don't have a lot of hope.

Infection...

Spoiler:

Pictures show her standing behind the Wraith consoles again. If she has no problems flying, (no faint feeling) her powers have grown.

I must say I missed it in The Queen (maybe there was no time), and I'd like an explanation for the missing mind links between the Wraith.

Unless it's got something to do with Michael?

He picks up Teyla from over 10,000 light years, which might mean he was one of the best in it, and therefore they decided to use speech.

If that is so, where do you fit in something like that, can't really have Todd say: "Oh, and if you're wondering why we're speaking out loud, that's because we don't want Michael to know where we are."

Honestly, I think the woman screaming had a more dramatic effect than Teyla saying "I sense Wraith People".

It really was a minor thing and it did not effect the episode for me.

True. It wouldn't have been interesting if she would have said it.

Wraith walking into the village was better.

[Linda06]

Honestly, I think the woman screaming had a more dramatic effect than Teyla saying "I sense Wraith People".

It really was a minor thing and it did not effect the episode for me.

Like I said, I enjoyed this ep a great deal so I can forgive this little slip up

[GoSpikey]

I wanted to mention that it's the second episode this season where they could have explored her powers a bit (if only sensing them in this ep), and they're both written by Alan. But on the other hand, in Search & Rescue Michael should have felt she was in labour, right?

But it'll get some development in The Prodigal, or Infection. Or maybe they're keeping it for EatG...

[Pegasus_SGA]

Why wasn't Teyla able to sense the Wraith before they entered the village? The writers have used that numerous times through the seasons and made a major arc dealing with her Wraith DNA and abilities last season. Suddenly, she no longer has it.

Did I miss an explanation in a previous ep?

To me, the writers ignored canon and went with dramatic effect.

So, make up your own canon. Tell me why Teyla couldn't sense them.

I noticed that to, maybe all her spideysense has now been passed over to her son, so hers is now limited?

[Briangate78]

I noticed that to, maybe all her spideysense has now been passed over to her son, so hers is now limited?

The force was not strong with Teyla in this episode.

[Pegasus_SGA]

The force was not strong with Teyla in this episode.

Maybe she was just overwhelmed with actually going off world and being with her team after all this time.

[GoSpikey]

The force was not strong with Teyla in this episode.

Mental green.

Maybe she was just overwhelmed with actually going off world and being with her team after all this time.

Green.

[Linda06]

Maybe she was just overwhelmed with actually going off world and being with her team after all this time.

Yeah could be......

SHE FINALLY GETS TO GO OFF WORLD WITH THE REST OF THE TEAM

[Killdeer]

Actually, I forgot that she did link with Michael (although she thought it was Kanaan) in Kindred. So SoW wasn't the last time - Kindred 1 was. But after that her abilities mysteriously vanished.

If it weren't for JM telling us that her powers supposedly would be greater this season, I might be theorizing that Michael did something to her to neutralize them. Because she (apparently) hasn't been able to use them since he abducted her (There's a fanon explanation for you, Ruffles ). I still haven't been able to figure out The Queen though. Teyla should have had to use her abilities to convince them - the wraith used to be able to sense each other, and that was true clear up through the beginning of S3.

[GoSpikey]

Hmm, yes. Michael got given a retrovirus, returned to his Wraithy self, and got kicked out for 'feeling off'.

Maybe the 'stench' was that he spent time with humans, and therefore was tainted, because he wanted to be a liaison between the Wraith and Atlantis...

Yet Teyla, who has a bit of Wraith DNA, can, through some sort of unidentified surgery, pose as a Wraith Queen...

While it was also established that she could sense from Ellia that she was different, didn't wanna feed.

But maybe they thought that a 'Teyla has never fed, so she doesn't know what it feels like' cleared up that latter part?

Hmm. Maybe in the comment on the DVD?